The present invention is in the field of data-packet network telephony (DNT) communication as practiced by a communication center and pertains more particularly to methods and apparatus for assigning agent-led chat sessions and other collaboration media to available agents based on message load and agent skill-set.
In the field of DNT communications, contact events incoming to and outgoing from a DNT-capable communication-center are propagated over switched-packet data networks (SPDN) such as a wide-area-network WAN, which may include the Internet. Internet-protocol-network telephony, a sub-set of DNT, wherein voice and data calls are handled by suitable computer equipment and software is a typical and oft-used DNT implementation. Other examples include e-mail, file transfer, instant messaging, electronic facsimile, and so on.
Such DNT capability as described above provides added flexibility to agents operating within a communication center and opens up new mediums of contact for clients wishing to interact with the center. For example, agents are no longer limited to a traditional telephony systems. Agent""s now have multimedia capability, and may be called multimedia agents, because they may now work with several different media types.
Multimedia agents will typically share a local-area-network (LAN) connection whereby individual agent personal-computer/video-display-units (PC/VDUs) may communicate with one another and with automated systems and switches within the communication center. In some cases, agents operate DNT-capable telephones. Communication centers employing data network capabilities may still practice computer integrated telephony (CTI) as known in the art for connection-oriented switched telephony (COST).
One IPNT medium that is practiced in DNT is the well-known chat session, which is an example of a medium in which a single agent may work with more than one client at a time. A chat session is facilitated by software operating at client stations (chat participants) and at a communications server hosted somewhere in an Internet-Protocol (IP) data network (typically the Internet). A chat session is typically hosted by a facilitator or session leader, which implements the rules and regulations governing each session. Typically a session master has controls provided that enable him or her to mute other participants, eject selected individuals from a session, direct the topics, and so on.
Recently chat-room communication has become an important tool for public interface at many DNT-capable communication centers. A single agent may effectively host more than one and up to several ongoing chat sessions simultaneously. In a situation such as this, certain parameters regarding the chat sessions themselves and the agents hosting them are typically observed. For example, it is desired that the topic or purpose of each chat session assigned to a particular agent agree in considerable degree with the hosting agent""s skill-level. It is similarly desired that any agent hosting a chat session or sessions is not overloaded or under-utilized while engaged in response to communication loads in a session or sessions.
In prior art communication centers parameters are typically manually configured for each scheduled or ongoing session. This can be problematic because levels of communication loads associated with chat sessions can vary rather rapidly for any given number of participants. Moreover, limits regarding a number of participants allowed in each active chat session must be manually set by agents or an administrator on behalf of agents. Because of fluctuations regarding communications loads and number of participants logging into any chat session, and the inconvenience associated with manual adjustment of such chat session parameters, agents are often overloaded or under-utilized for significant periods of time.
What is clearly needed is an automated method and apparatus for assigning and re-assigning sessions to selected agents from a pool of available agents based on agent skill-set and current workload. Such a routing system would insure that no single agent is overloaded or under-utilized when engaging in agent-led sessions involving multiple clients, and wherein an agent may participate in more than one such session. Alternatively, or in concert with re-assignment, wait time in sessions can be adjusted.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, in a communication center system wherein agents participate in and host interactive sessions, a session management system is provided, comprising a data repository storing parameters regarding individual sessions in progress in the communication center system and agent parameters including one or both of minimum and maximum load capabilities for individual agents; and a management software executing on a server associated with the communication center system. The system is characterized in that the management software calculates agent load level over sessions hosted by an individual agent, compares the calculated load level with one or both of minimum and maximum load for said agent, and adjusts agent loading and/or or wait time accordingly. In a preferred embodiment the agent-led sessions are chat-sessions.
In some embodiments the session management system, upon determining a first agent""s load level is above maximum, assigns one or more sessions hosted by the first agent to a second agent, reducing the first agent""s load. Wait time may be adjusted in addition or alternatively. In other cases the session management system, upon determining a first agent""s load level is below minimum, assigns one or more addition sessions to the first agent. The system preferably operates in a call center having multiple agents interconnected on a local area network (LAN), but is applicable as well to arrangements with wide area networks, or regardless of communication connection and protocol. In determining agent loading the management software uses both traffic information and agent capability level.
In another aspect of the invention, in a communication center system wherein agents participate in and host sessions, a method for managing agent load in sessions is provided, comprising steps of (a) storing parameters regarding individual sessions in progress in the communication center system and agent parameters including one or both of minimum and maximum load capabilities for individual agents in a data repository; (b) calculating agent load level by a management software; (c) comparing calculated agent load level with stored minimum of maximum allowed agent load level, and (d) adjusting agent assignment to sessions or adjusting wait time according to the comparison in step (c).
In some cases the session management system, upon determining a first agent""s load level is above maximum, assigns one or more sessions hosted by the agent to a second agent, reducing the first agent""s load. Alternatively the system may adjust wait time. In other embodiments the session management system, upon determining a first agent""s load level is below minimum, assigns one or more additional sessions to the first agent. The method may be practiced in a call center having multiple agents interconnected on a local area network (LAN). In practicing the method the management software preferably determines agent loading by both traffic and agent capability level.
In yet another aspect of the invention a data-network telephony (DNT)-capable communication center is provided comprising multiple agent stations having individual session-capable computer stations interconnected on a local area network (LAN); and a server connected on the LAN and executing a management software. The center is characterized in that the management software calculates agent load-level and manages agent assignments and/or wait time based on the calculated load level.
In the communication center, in some cases individual agents are assigned a maximum load level, and the management software, upon determining a first agent""s load level is above maximum, assigns one or more sessions hosted by the first agent to a second agent, or adjusts wait time, reducing the first agent""s load level. In other cases individual agents are assigned a minimum load level, and the management software, upon determining a first agent""s load level is below minimum, assigns one or more additional sessions to the first agent. In preferred embodiments the management software determines agent loading by both traffic and agent capability level.